Construction and remodeling projects often result in damage to nearby surfaces. For example, during kitchen remodeling debris, paint, grout, caulking, etc. may get on existing countertops. This then must be cleaned or otherwise removed from the countertop. In some cases, cleaning may not be possible and instead either the surface may need to be replaced or repainted.
In order to prevent this damage, often something is placed on a surface to protect it. For example, plastic or paper coverings are often placed on surfaces to ensure that any potential damage is mitigated. That is, the covering takes some of the damage, leaving the surface relatively protected. However, this is often inadequate. For example, if a plastic covering has even a small hole then paint or other liquids can leak through, damaging whatever needed protection. Often, this damage is not discovered until it is far too late to mitigate the damage. Similarly, these coverings don't protect against impact damage. I.e., impacts pass through the covering damaging the surface underneath.
Likewise, when painting it is common to use masking tape to prevent paint from getting on a surface. For example, at a corner between a ceiling and a wall a typical methodology is to carefully place tape along the ceiling prior to painting. The wall is then painted. When the paint is dry the tape is then removed, which ideally creates a nice straight line. However, in practice often the tape can damage the ceiling, may not stick correctly which leads to “bleeding” or the removal of the tape can damage the new paint applied to the wall.
There are coatings that can be placed on surfaces, but these coatings suffer from a number of drawbacks. For example, the coating might only work on certain surfaces. In particular, porous surfaces often cannot be treated. Further, these coatings may need certain chemicals to be removed. Thus, even if the coating can be applied to the surface, the chemicals used to remove the coating may damage the underlying surface, preventing the use on those surfaces.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a protective coating that can be applied to a multitude of surfaces. In addition, there is a need in the art for the protective coating to be temporary, yet completely protect the surface. Further, there is a need in the art for the protective coating to be removed without the use of chemicals which could damage the underlying surface.